Fanion Onion Cutting Fan Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025

Chopping onions is one of those universal kitchen struggles. The burning eyes, the tears streaming down your face—it’s a pain everyone knows. People have tried all sorts of hacks to avoid it: chewing bread, holding a matchstick between their teeth, even wearing swimming goggles. But none of these solutions really work.  

Glenn Smith and his daughter Madison knew this problem all too well. After years of suffering through onion tears, they invented The Fanion, a simple but clever solution. The Fanion is a cordless, countertop fan that blows away onion fumes before they reach your eyes. No more tears, just smooth chopping.  

Fanion Onion Cutting Fan Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025

Glenn and Madison asked for a $90k investment in exchange for 15% equity in their company. This meant they valued their company at $600,000. They did not make a deal with any of the Sharks. After the show aired, The Fanion saw a big increase in website traffic, sales, and social media exposure. With an estimated 10% yearly growth rate (typical business growth), the current net worth of The Fanion is about $798,600.

On Shark Tank, they asked for $90,000 for 15% equity in their company. Their pitch was heartfelt, funny, and backed by real sales. But the Sharks had concerns—mainly about the massive inventory they’d piled up. In the end, no deal was made. Still, their story was one of the most memorable of the season. 

Shark(s) name	Offer & Demand	Counteroffer	Accepted?
Daniel Lubetzky	Out	N/A	N/A
Lori Greiner	Out	N/A	N/A
Kevin O’Leary	Out	N/A	N/A
Robert Herjavec	Out	N/A	N/A
Mark Cuban	Out	N/A	N/A

Fanion Onion Cutting Fan Shark Tank Pitch 

Glenn and Madison’s journey began with a simple frustration: onion tears. Glenn, a vice president at a poultry company, had tried every trick to avoid crying while chopping. Nothing worked. So, he and Madison, an industrial engineer, decided to create a real solution.  

The Fanion is small, cordless, and cute. You place it next to your cutting board, turn it on, and it blows away the irritating fumes from onions, garlic, and peppers. No more burning eyes, just tears of joy (as they joked in their pitch).  

They launched in November 2023 and had already sold 1,800 units, making $28,000 in sales. But there was a big problem: they had 31,000 units sitting in inventory, worth about $250,000. They’d spent $468,000 of their own money (including home equity) to get this far.  

Their pitch was charming. Glenn even wore yard goggles as a joke, showing how ridiculous some onion-hacks are. The Sharks laughed, but when they heard about the huge unsold inventory, things got serious. 

Queries, Shark’s Responses, and Final Deal

Mark Cuban expresses skepticism about the market size, believing that not enough consumers would be willing to spend $20 on such a specialized item. He notices that the cost to acquire a customer is quite high at $10, meaning they aren’t making much profit, leading him to decide not to invest.

Lori Greiner feels sympathy for the entrepreneurs and points out that ordering so many products without gauging demand was a serious misstep. She suggests they try to sell their unsold inventory at cost (the price they bought it for) to recoup some of their losses, even though she won’t be investing.

Kevin O’Leary bluntly highlights that the entrepreneurs have tied up a significant amount of money in unsold inventory—$250,000. He recommends cutting their losses by selling the Fanions at a lower price, even if that means losing half their investment, and considers it a learning experience. He decides not to invest.

Robert Herjavec points out that smart entrepreneurs take calculated risks, and he believes that ordering such a large quantity of product before confirming customer interest was reckless. He advises them to sell their stock, even at a loss, and move on to better opportunities, choosing not to invest.

Daniel Lubetzky connects emotionally with the team, appreciating the relationship between the father and daughter behind the business. However, like the others, he feels that the business isn’t a good investment and chooses not to get involved, wishing them success in the future.

Overall, the Sharks all express concern about the entrepreneurs’ strategy and decisions, concluding that the business isn’t ready for investment and suggesting ways to minimize losses instead.

What Went Wrong With Fanion On Shark Tank?

The main problem for this business was that they had too much stock but not enough sales, which is called inventory overload. Here are the reasons why Sharks decided not to invest: They had a huge amount of products (31,000 units), but in 8 months, they only sold 1,800 units. At that slow selling rate, it would take them over 10 years to sell everything they had.

It cost them $10 to attract each customer who bought their product for $20. This means they weren’t making much profit because their costs were too high. The Sharks were uncertain if enough people would be willing to pay $20 just to avoid crying while cutting onions. They felt this was a limited market, which made the investment riskier. The business owners were funding their company using loans against their homes, which is a risky move. This made the Sharks worry about the financial stability of the business.

Product Availability

The Fanion is a handy little gadget that you can buy online for $19.99. Even though it didn’t get a deal on the show Shark Tank, it’s still available for sale. This fan is designed to help when you’re chopping strong-smelling vegetables like onions, garlic, or peppers. If you want to make cooking with potent ingredients more pleasant, The Fanion is a great option!

What Happened To The Fanion After Shark Tank?

After their Shark Tank appearance, Glenn and Madison kept selling The Fanion. They didn’t become a huge brand, but they didn’t give up either.  

As of today, their website is still active, and they’re still pushing sales. They likely took the Sharks’ advice and discounted excess inventory to recover some costs. 

Conclusion 

Glenn and Madison’s Shark Tank journey was emotional and eye-opening (pun intended). Their product worked, but their business strategy had flaws. The Sharks admired their bond but couldn’t ignore the financial risks.  

While they didn’t get a deal, their story was a great lesson for entrepreneurs: Test demand before ordering thousands of units. For now, The Fanion remains a fun kitchen gadget—just not a Shark-backed success.